In 1260, the Mongol empire was at the heyday of its power. Yet, Chinggis Khan’s descendants could not agree among themselves on the choice of the Great Khan. At war with the Mongols, the Mamluk sultanate took advantage of their divisions. Sultan Baybars managed to create an alliance with the Golden Horde, one of the most powerful branches of the Mongol empire, which was on the path of islamization and seeking for independence. This alliance would allow the Mamluks to repel their adversaries, increase the sultanate’s power, and save the dar al-islam. By revealing the untold story of the first diplomatic exchanges between the Mamluk sultan and the khan of the Golden Horde, this book uncovers the improbable encounter of two powers with great cultural and physical distances between them. Their alliance would have long-term geopolitical impacts on the Near East, Russia, and Central Asia.